Review: What Happened To Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Hardcover, 402 pages

Released: May 10, 2011

Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group

ISBN13: 9780670012947

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Goodreads.com
Amazon.com
Bookdepository.com


My Rating: 4 /5

My Thoughts:
I have to say, this title had me curious and boy was it fun to see how it came about and then come  full circle! McLean's life drastically changed when her parents divorced and her mom started a new family. She sticks with her Dad even as he lives a nomadic lifestyle, where turning around restaurants takes him to numerous places. Being a teen and trying to figure out who you are is hard enough as it is, and for McLean, all this moving provided an opportunity to escape and she uses it to reinvent herself, over and over again. Can you imagine how cool that would be to always start with a clean slate? Well it would be fun for a while, until you find that even you don't know yourself anymore! At the end of the day,  McLean realizes that she is only cheating herself. It takes a few struggles, some heart-to-heart with her parents and one amazing boy next door for her to quit playing the game.

For the town centennial, the kids come together while building a town model. It was obvious the symbolic nature of this model, but Dessen made my heart skip a beat when it was complete. What Happened to Goodbye is full of a great cast of characters, each one unique and likeable. Dave, the amazing neighbor, has become a favorite of mine. Not only is he cute and super smart, what sets him apart from your typical hottie is his thoughtfulness and subtlety. He drops hints to open her eyes but really let's McLean figure things out on her own, quite the opposite of his overbearing parents! Although stubborn, McLean is strong and doesn't need a guy to make things right.

Predictable, but very fun getting there, What Happened To Goodbye is an enjoyable summer read about finding who you are and being true to yourself. Life can be so much more when you aren't hiding from it!